OREGON — The Oregon University System (OUS) released a statement in regards to State Bill 116, saying that the transition of the Department of Public Safety into a sworn police agency would cost the University of Oregon less money than maintaining the department in its current form.
The bill, which has not yet been passed, is similar to State Bill 405, but does not allow for members of a future campus police agency to receive full police and fire PERS benefits, the Oregon Daily Emerald reports. A fiscal impact statement for State Bill 405 has not yet been published.
The University of Oregon is the only school in the OUS that has expressed interest in establishing a sworn campus police department in the short term. Under the current plan, the university would have 26 sworn police officers by 2017.
The university could save more than $73,000 over the next six years if it switches to a sworn agency.
